The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-02
w. REID AND DEACON SMITH.
A Vigorous Protest Against q Pair of Would
BE Political Monitors.

Peoria (In. } Transcript.
The twaddle about who the Hon. Whitelaw
Reid, of the New York Tribune, and the Hon.
Dick Smith 1.-THE good Deacon Smith), OF the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, will or will not
support for President in 1885, that is now being
sent out by the special correspondents OF the
metropolitan press and the Associated Press re-
porters, is calculated to make the ordinary
American citizen-and partlcula y Repu blicans
excessively weary. 1t is rnquestionably very
kind on the part of these gentlemen TO assume
the burdensome task of anticipating the wishes
of the Republican party in this matter, but
really, they undertaking too much.
They have about much influence
on the question and about much
power to throw Republican opinion to
or another as the feather that floats on the
bose m of the river has in influencing the course
of the stream. Who are they, what are the
papers ruled by either, that they should set
themselves up monitors and guides of the Re-
publican party! The Tribune is the organ of
faction of the Republican party in New York. 1t
is within the memory or very young men when
it was opposing the Republics nominee. Its
founder and greatest editor was a candidate
against the nominee of the Republican party. In
the vast region west of the Alleghenies. where
the big Republican vote is cast. there are dozens
of papers with double the influence of the
Tribune. In the West there any number of
Republican with twice the personal influence
possessed by Whiteaw Reid There are greater
papers than his conducted with more ability.
And among these we do not rank the Cincinnati
Gazette-the malignant villiier and defamer of
John A. Logan, a man who was far ahead of
Deacon Richard Smith man, as "A Repu bic
an. as the great Western Chicago or St. Louis
newspaper is ahead of the New York Tribune.
Whiteaw Reid and Richard Smith are simply
two Republicans who not in any too good
odor with the party. If they are leaders they
are self-constituted leaders, and one is obliged
to follow them.
We object, as Republican, to the notorety
that is being gwen to these two men, At best,
they belong only to the rank and file, and should
take their places behind better
Their crude and illogical conclusions
are bringing discredit upon the party. when
taken as oracles. To the great body of Repub-
licans in this country it doesn't make bit of
difference whether Whteaw Reid wrote letter
Richard Smith stating that he had concluded
to drop Blaine aud take up Sherman or not. II
he did, he is not the first man in American his
tory that has written unfortunate letters. The
Damphool family mas an extensive connection in
this country. and some collateral branches
may reside in tall towers and others in a town
which is subjected to annual overflow. These
have right to their opinions, but when
the Associated Press takes these opinions up and
sends them broadcast over the country, giving
to them the Importance of Delphic oracles, We
kick Let them put their opinions in their own
papers, where few VIII read them but don't give
them an Importance they do not deserve